Alternatives to Emma

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Emma is a very loveable name. She's poised to take the top spot from Sophia, which means she's very popular indeed. Lots of people love Emma, but don't want to commit to such a popular name. Fortunately there are some other options that are similar to Emma in terms of sight, sound, and style.

Sight
Elle- She sits safely in the 300s, so popularity is not an issue, but the actress Elle Fanning has made her name rise quite a bit.
Esme- A wonderful literary name.
Etta- Funky retro Etta is a great choice for parents avoiding Emma and Ella.

Sound
Emer- She's pronounced EE-mer, and is a delightful French name.
Enya- A little Enya would feel right at home with other preschoolers named Emma, Anya, and Oona.
Gemma- Seemingly very British, but would work well on an American child.

Style
Eliza- She's got the same old-fashioned feel as Emma, while still being modern.
Imogen- An up-and-comer. Idgie is a cute nickname.
Nina- Elegant and short, just like Emma.

Song Names: The Rolling Stones

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Happy Friday! I'm back with another installment of Song Names, this time from The Rolling Stones. These names don't have the same cutesy feel as The Beatles, but many of them are very useable. Take a look.

Girls:
Angie- She's not used much in her own right these days, but Angie would make a sweet nickname for all those Angelinas and Evangelines.
Claudine- You're more likely to meet a Claudia, but the -dine names are beginning to sound retro. Save this one for a few years.
Fanny- We're seeing a rise in Fran- names, but Fanny probably won't make a comeback. Lookout for Frannie though.
Jane- Sweet, loveable Jane. What's not to like?
Melody- Great choice for music lovers.
Mercy- One parent loves the Rolling Stones, the other loves Kanye? Name the baby Mercy, problem solved.
Ruby- Ruby is such a happy name. I expect her to break the top 100 this year.
Virginia- She's slightly dated, but call her Vivi, Gigi, or Ginger to spice her up.
Winter- This season name is newly up for consideration.

Boys:
Jack- Always a classic. You can't go wrong with Jack.

10 B Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Time for the latest installment of this Wednesday series. Today we are looking at B names for girls. The most popular ones are Brooklyn, Bella, Bailey, and Brianna, which I consider overused. There are so many great options out there, so lets take a look.

Beah- She sounds like Leah with a B, and makes a great nickname for Beatrice or Beatrix.

Bergen- Many consider this a boy name, but the Bergen I know is a girl, and she wears it well.

Beryl- I fell in love with Beryl after reading A Taxonomy of Barnacles (I know it doesn't sound like it, but it's a novel). Slightly old-fashioned, but full of charm.

Bijou- One of the best water related names, along with Bay.

Bird- Super fun. Use it as the first name and call her Birdie, or stick it in the middle to make a more popular name spunky.

Blanca- She would make a great sister to Sofia.

Boheme- Girls Gone Child's Rebecca Woolf gave this name to one of her twins. She goes by Bo, which is super cute on a girl.

Bonita- Bonita means pretty in Spanish. She's a great choice if you want a girly name with a tomboyish nickname.

Britta- Bridget feels slightly dated, but Britta would be perfect for a baby.

Bronte- A gorgeous literary name, she would sound wonderful as a first or middle.

Unexpected Flower Names

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It's hard to argue with a good flower name. Lily, Daisy, Iris, Violet, Rose, these names are well liked, but they are also the most common flower names. If you know you want to use a flower name for your baby, why not choose something unexpected? I have the perfect list to spark some inspiration.

Girls:
Amaryllis
Anemone
Aster
Azalea
Begonia
Calla
Camellia
Chrysanthemum
Clover
Daffodil
Dahlia
Freesia
Gardenia
Hyacinth
Larkspur
Lavender
Liatris
Lilac
Lotus
Marigold
Mimosa
Peony
Petunia
Poinsettia
Posy
Primrose
Tansy
Zinnia

Boys:
Cosmo
Quince

Mom Names Reinvented

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Sunday is Mother's Day, and many moms-to-be would like to honor their mothers with their daughter's name. Unfortunately, Janet just isn't the name you picture your daughter with. Many names from the 50s and 60s are easily updateable, so have no fear. Baby girl can have a name that is both modern and honors Grandma.

Carol, Carolyn, Karen
Carina- Pretty and not too princessy.
Carmen- Given new life, thanks to Alec Baldwin's daughter.
Carys- The latest Car- name.

Janet
Jana- Simple and gorgeous.
Jane- A classic that is becoming more popular again.
January- The chicest month name, a la January Jones.

Lisa
Elisa- Both Elise and Elisa are rising, but Elisa is the less common of the two.
Lissa- Also a good way to honor a Melissa.
Lissy- Cute, but probably as a nickname.

Lori
Flora- Elegant.
Gloria- People are beginning to see Gloria's charm.
Lorelai- New moms that watched Gilmore Girls have been choosing this name for their daughters.

Mary
Margot- Margot Tenenbaum's sophisticated and blasé name transcends her name.
Marlowe- Not in the top 1000 yet, but I think this will be her year.
Marnie- Girls has helped Marnie become a recent hit.

Nancy
Annabel- All-American sweetheart.
Anneliese- Incredibly charming.
Annika- Annika has fallen in recent years, which makes her perfect for parents avoiding popularity.

Pamela
Paloma- Pamela's sounds rearranged.
Pamina- Makes Pamela sound less frumpy.
Pimm- One of my favorites, and a great update to Pam.

Sandra
Alessandra- Latin beauty.
Alexandria- Long, elegant, and rising in popularity.
Cassandra- Many parents nowadays would opt to call her Cassie.

Susan
Sukie- The cutest nickname for any of the Su- names.
Sunday- Whimsical, yet totally useable.
Susanna- It's hard to believe, but Susan is more popular than Susanna. She's an undiscovered gem.

Teresa
Tess- A name that definitely stands on her own (just ask my sister).
Tessa- But if you really don't believe me, go with Tessa.
Thea- Very sweet, and perfect for girls of all ages.

10 A Names You Never Thought of Using: Boys

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Last week we talked about unusual A names for girls, and now it's time for the boys. The boys names in this series will be slightly different than the girls. Due to the lack of variety of boys names, some of the ones listed are in the top 1000. However, they are all below 500. Take a look, and tell me if you'd consider any of them for your own child.


Alaric- Alaric sounds cool, calm, and collected, traits you might want to give to a son.

Alban- Has that popular -an ending. Spell it Alben, and he's another way to get to Ben.

Ansel- I was inspired by my ACT passage on Ansel Adams to put this one on the list. It sounds slightly feminine, but there's an obvious connection, so he wouldn't get confused for a girl.

Anton- Joanna Goddard's baby is named Anton, and it wears very well. I wasn't too keen on it before, but seeing it on an actual baby made me see how useable Anton is.

Argo- Yeah, there's the movie, but Argo would make a fun name for a son. I would wait a few years, until people forget about the movie's catchphrase though.

Arlo- Arlo is Argo's softer, safer cousin. Plus, he fits in with rising names like Marlowe and Harlow.

Asa- Actor Asa Butterfield brought his name back into the spotlight. Even so, some people will think it's a girl name, a la Ava and Ana.

Axton- There's Paxton, Maxton, Braxton, and Jaxton, why not Axton? He's not my favorite name in the world, but he's a good option for parents looking for a name that's unique with trendy sounds.

Aza- Spices up Asa.

Azriel- This Hebrew name is a cool alternative to the overused Gabriel.

Catalog Names: Anthropologie Spring 2014

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Anthropologie is my all time favorite store. I love when their catalog comes in the mail, it's always so beautiful. Many of their Spring clothes have interesting names, so I thought I'd list them here. Tell me what you think.

Expected:
Brooke
Daisy
Eden
Flora
Isla
Lila
Lily
Tessa
Willow

Unique:
Aralia
Calliope
Ciel
Cleo
Fleur
Galen 
Glenna
Halsey
Majorelle
Mandala
Poesy
Stevie

Unheard of:
Ancora
Camia
Laelia
Lolanthe
Tippi
Tisana
Tonnelle